I decided to use a bookcase to display items I collected over the years. Most are still functional, but no longer needed or used. The older I get, the more these items are becoming historical artifacts. Why not put them on display. Here are the steps I took to make a simple display board to fit the back of my bookcase shelf. It is also suitable for a curio cabinet shelf, or an enclosed display case.
The base on which the display board rests is just a 1×2 board. Choose a select wood for this, like douglas fir or oak, for a blemish-free finish. Cut it about a quarter-inch shorter than the width of your bookshelf.
Cut a dado slot on the top just wide enough to accept the display board. My display board was three-sixteenths of an inch thick, which required two overlapping passes on the table saw. The depth of the dado was one-quarter inch and I cut it one-quarter inch from the back edge of the base.
The display board is a reversible MDF panel that has a white dry-erase board on one side and a black chalkboard on the other. The home store sells it as a two-foot by four-foot panel. It’s actually a lot cheaper than a similar piece of plain MDF, pressboard or luan plywood. I prefer the shiny white side, but you could use the black side instead.
I cut the width of the display board on the table saw to match the width of the base. I measured the height of my bookshelf area and subtracted a quarter-inch to make it easy to insert and remove. Before cutting the board to height, account for the height of the base minus the dado depth. That way the overall height of the display board, with base, fits on your bookshelf. Your shelves may be slightly warped or bowed so remember to use the minimum height as measured at several places.
Next I laid out a pattern for the tiny mounting holes I use to mount items to the board. I decided the holes should be two-inches apart horizontally and one-inch apart vertically. I also staggered alternating rows so a hole in one row is centered between two holes in each adjacent row. I measured the width of the display board and divided by two inches to determine the whole number of holes per row.
I divided the fractional remainder by two to determine how far in from the edge to start the first hole. It was seven-eighths of an inch in my case. The row of holes is thus centered between the sides. I started one-inch from the top of the board, but you can also center the number of whole rows within the vertical display area. Just determine the number of rows you will have versus the height of the display area they will occupy to center them between the top and bottom.
I used a ruler that’s one-inch wide and placed it square to the top of the display board. I marked each hole with a fine-point sharpie at two-inch intervals. I used the marks from the prior row to keep the ruler square to mark the next row.
After all the holes were marked, I used an awl to press a dimple at each mark. I then used a one-sixteenth inch drill bit to drill each hole. The awl mark prevents the drill bit from wandering and makes it quicker to start each hole. Although in my case I had 198 holes, which turned out to be a chore.
I finished assembly by simply inserting the bottom edge of the display board into the dado slot in the base. I used a slip-fit, but you can also glue it if desired.
Mounting Items
To mount items on the display board, I use small lengths of a green bendable wire that florists use to make flower arrangements. It’s very thin and two wires fit easily in a mounting hole.
I wrap the wire around the item, give it a couple twists, then insert both ends into a mounting hole. For larger items, insert each end into a different mounting hole. On the backside of the display board (shown at right), pull the wire taut and bend sharply downward to hold the item in place. You could also wrap it around a small piece of dowel, but I find the wire is strong enough to stay in place on its own.
Unfortunately this method means you must remove the display board from the bookshelf to add or rearrange items. If you have other items sitting on the shelf in front of it, you must of course remove them each time. But if you only want to remove an item, gently pull on the wire and it will come right out.
Here is my finished, partially filled display board placed at the back of my bookcase shelf.
Tipping Point
Depending on the size of your display board and the weight of the items you display, you may need a wider, thicker or heavier base. You may also need to secure the top of the display board so it doesn’t tip over. In my case, it stays upright on its own, but I also put two bookshelf pins in the holes on the inner side of the bookcase. They will stop the display from tipping over if the bookcase is bumped.
If an item is relatively heavy, you can attach a counterweight to the wires on the backside opposite the item to keep the display board balanced. You can attach counterweights to the back at key locations to balance a collection of items. To prevent backward leaning, glue small blocks at the top corners of the back to keep the board vertical.
Here is my finished display board, with space to add more items. I use it as a backdrop behind other items on the bookshelf.
Other Considerations
Optionally, you can make a top plate to match the base board, or frame the whole display board using the same trim. You can also miter the base to make an L-shape or U-shape display that has left and/or right side panels. The side panels can also be attached at a slight diagonal similar to a three-panel “science fair” project board. And, since it is a dry-erase white board, you can write captions next to your items if needed. That is probably best done with a fine-point dry-erase marker.